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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — a break
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a partner
  6. swing — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — electricity
  12. net — for catching
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — after costs
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fall — the season
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — in sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. charge — a price
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com